Planning & outbuildings

Mike Dade offers his expert advice on the best ways to proceed with this kind of scheme, whether your project falls under permitted development or you need to apply for full planning consent

Mike Dade

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Domestic outbuildings, be they garages, gyms, garden sheds, chicken runs, home offices or annexes, are common additions to many family dwellings. Helpfully, permitted development (PD) rights mean that a planning application isn’t required for many such projects. However, this set of rules is complex and doesn’t apply in all situations. Where permission is needed, local policies and interpretations of planning law vary as well. So, what schemes require permission and what is the best way to ensure you get it right?

Is PD guaranteed?

All new structures need planning consent, but permitted development effectively provides blanket permission for outbuildings, subject to restrictions on usage, size and location within a garden. When the green light is granted for a new house or a conversion, it’s not uncommon for PD rights to erect outbuildings to be removed by a condition attached to the planning permission. It’s also possible – but much less common – for a council to remove permitted development entitlements from a particular location. This is often the case in conservation areas, by means of what’s known as an Article 4 direction. PD allowances can also be taken away by legal agreements.